We hear all the buzz, especially the past few years, about the many benefits of cultivating a mindfulness practice. But is mindfulness really a superpower that can cure all of life’s ills?
Then answer is no. Mindfulness is not a cure all or a “quick fix” to what ails us. In the past few years, mindfulness has thankfully gone mainstream and become popular as many have realize how effective this practice is for reducing stress and building resilience. Unfortunately, with that popularity comes misinformation, exaggeration and a lot of hype of it’s potential and toted as a cure all. As much as I love mindfulness (and do I ever love it:) and it’s MANY benefits, there are limitations to what it can truly do for you and your well-being. Are taking deep breaths and meditating going to make our work and life stressors disappear? Will learning to be more self-aware or present help us love our jobs? The answer is well… yes AND no.
Let’s take our workplace for example. Is mindfulness going to fix very real workplace problems such as burn-out, chronic overwork, ineffective leadership and stress? Not completely, these are systematic problems within an organization that need more than a mindfulness practice to change its culture and create a healthier work environment.
Maybe your home-life is full of things you can’t really control. A sick family member, a job loss, childcare issues or unhealthy relationships are things that can create chronic daily stress and will not be fixed by a mindfulness practice.
Mindfulness - “The awareness that arises from paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally”
(Kabat-Zinn, in Purser, 2015).
Let’s first review what MINDFULNESS really is and what is does. Mindfulness is the paying attention to the present moment, without judgement. By using mindfulness, you can develop a deeper awareness of the present moment, of our body’s sensations, thoughts, feelings and emotions. We also we can learn to become more responsive, resilient and less reactive, more empathetic and compassionate, and generally to take better care of ourselves, our minds and others. It basically teaches us the ability to pause, to check-in with ourselves and our needs, especially in times of stress.
So how can a Mindfulness practice really do?
While being mindful will NOT make an unreasonable boss disappear or change, but it WILL help you manage your reaction and response to this person. You will have the tools to notice when you are feeling the stress or angry so that you can decide how you will respond. You may need to take a few (or many) deep breaths before responding to an email or factor in more mini breaks throughout your day to improve your environment and mindset. Understanding what you need in stressful situation gives you the power to manage your emotions before they manage you and this a powerful tool to have access to. As a bonus, when you are able to notice and address your emotions and thoughts quickly, you will spend less time ruminating and wasting energy on things you can’t control so that you can be more productive, engaged and focussed!
Mindfulness will not create a peaceful and predictable home life either, but what it CAN do is allow for some self-compassion and the self-awareness to recognize while you can’t solve all of the issues you may be facing, you are able understand and listen to your body cues that help you ‘take notice’ of when you are overwhelmed, stressed or burnt out. From there you can make some decisions on how you want to manage the situation. Do you need to get outside for 5 minutes, delegate tasks or call a trusted friend that you can share your worries with? Having the self-awareness to notice what you need in various situations, will not only benefit you but will most certainly benefit those around as well.
So, while mindfulness does have its limitations, it has the potential to truly affect your work and daily life in profound and powerful ways if used well… mindfully. As with any new skill, it takes practice and continuous effort to create a change and see the positive results. Reading an article or listening to one podcast on mindfulness will not magically give you the tools needed to reap the amazing benefits but creating an everyday mindfulness practice that works for you will!
How do I start?
Start small and build a practice that feels authentic to you! No one is “good” at meditating the first time or truthfully after many times, but it is absolutely worth it to practice it if it’s something you feel works for you. With time you will see little shifts in your experience and perspective. Meditation not your thing, no problem! There are so many ways to practice mindfulness that don’t involve meditation. Simply bringing awareness to the present moment throughout the day is a great beginning to a valuable shift.
Need help or how to bring a Mindfulness based workplace training to your organization?
I can help! Would welcome the opportunity to assist you creating a personal or professional practice that can bring valuable skills to you and your organization.
CONTACT: nicole@cultivatewellnessri.com or 401-330-0588.